Story By: Jonathan Macias, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash

This 25-year-old courier has been murdered while she was running errands on her motorbike for families stuck in their homes during the lockdown in Mexico.

The murder took place in the city of Cosoleacaque in the state of Veracruz in south-eastern Mexico when mother Melina Contreras, 25, was robbed when she was running an errand on her motorbike in the Colonia Patria Libr neighbourhood.

Witnesses reportedly said she was robbed by several men who made her get off her motorbike and shot her dead when she tried to defend herself.

The robbers took the motorbike, a red Yamaha, her mobile phone and other belongings and left her dead body on the ground.

According to local authorities, the men escaped after committing the murder and have not been identified.

The woman’s colleagues confirmed she worked with her motorbike in the areas of Cosoleacaque and Minatitlan running errands for families who did not want to leave their homes during the lockdown.

Contreras was reportedly a single mother who made between 100 and 200 MXN (3 and 7 GBP) a day that she saved for her family.

A colleague whose name has not been reported said: “They should have taken the motorbike, the money, but why did they kill her, you can replace material things but how do you replace a life?”

The investigation is ongoing.

The state of Veracruz is one of the states with the highest number of femicides in Mexico, local media report.

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